Package for oysters



|UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. POND, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PACKAGE FOR O'YsTERs, sto.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,017, dated March14, 1882 Application filed November 15, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES L. POND, ofthecity of Buffalo, in thecounty of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful' Im provementin Packages for Oysters and otherPerishable Articles, of which the following is a specification. \l

My invention relates to that class ot barrels, tubs, or other vessels inwhich oysters and other similar perishable articles are packed andtransported, and which are provided with a removable head or`cover,which is taken olic for the purpose of introducing and removing thearticles into and from the package.

The first part ot' myinvention relates to the construction of thisremovabe head, and has lor its object to so construct the removable'head thatitcan be readily applied and removed, and that when applied itis sufficiently tight to prevent the escape ofthe contents ot' thepackage, and that itcan b e readily sealed, and that it-has noprojecting parts which would interfere with the handling and stowingofthe package inl transportation.

Myinvention consists,to that end,of the peculiar construction of' theremovable head and its locking mechanism, and of thepeculiarconstruction of the barrel or package, whereby it is `adapted tobe used with such removable head, as will be hereinafter fully setforth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of' anoyster-package provided with my improvements, showing the removablecover lockedin place. Fig. 2 is a similar view ot1 the upper portion ofthepackage,

showing the cover unlocked and ready to be removed.` Fig. 3 is apartly-sectional plan view of the removable cover. Fig. 4 is a top-.planview thereof. Fig. 5 is a vertical section in line as rv, Fig. 4. Fig. 6is an enlarged sectional view of one of the turn-buttons. Fig. 7 is aplan view of one of the plates by which the movement of the turn-buttousis limited. Fig. S is a top plan view of the head of one of theturn-buttons.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several gures. V

A represents the barrel, tub, or other vessel, constructed preferablyot' staves held together by hoops in the usual manner, and provided witha bottom, orlower head, A', which is firmly secured in place.

B represents the removable cover or head, which is applied to the upperend ofthe barrel or tub A.

c represents a ring or annular rim of rectangular cross-section, securedto the inner side of the barrel or tub, at a short distance from theupper end thereof, and which is adapted to support the edge ot' theremovable head B, and forms shoulders against which the lockingmechanism engages. The ringo is arrangedl in a recess having the form ofa iight angle with itsv two sides arranged respectively horizontally andvertically, whereby a large and rm bearing-surliicc is afforded forthcringc. The latter is preferably constructed ot' a strip of wood bentto a circular form, and of sufcient length to ll therecess, and isintroduced into the recess by compressing it so that its ends overlapeach other, and after it has passed below the shoulder formed in thebarrell by the recess it is permitted to expand into the recess, and issecured therein by nails or other suitable means. 'The removable head Bis constructed with a project ing edge or rim, b, which is provided onits under side with a packingring, d, of rubber or other suitablematerial, and which rests upon the ring c. Thepackingring d is arrangedin a groove in the head B, in which it is secured preferably by means ofa metallic hoop or band,ve, which is applied to the outer side of thebody of the head B, and

are attached, resembles a circular disk, and the bolts are connected tosuch disk on opposite sides of its center, so that by swinging the outerend ot' the lever Fin one or the other direction the bolts will be movedin opposite directions.

Gr represents a casing ot' wood or metal secured to the under side ofthe head B, and inclosing the sliding boltsj'f, the ends of the casingbeing provided with openings through which the sliding bolts protrudeand in which ICO the bolts fit snugly. The sliding boltfis provided withan upwardly-projecting tongue, l1., and the lever F is provided with anopening, h', which permits the tonguehto project through the lever Fwhen the latter is closed down on the head B, as represented in Figs. 1and 4. The head B is provided on its upper side with a recess ordepression, I, in which the lever F rests when it is closed down. Whenthe bolts fj" are retracted, as shown in Fig. 2, the head B can beinserted into the open end ofthe barrel A, with its rim b resting uponthe ring c of the barrel. By closing the lever F down upon the head Bthe sliding bolts are projected under the ring e, thereby drawing therim b of the head B tightly against the outer side of the ring c andlocking the head in the barrel. A wire is then drawn through the openingin the end of the tongue h above the lever F, and its ends are connectedby a metallic sea-l, 7c, whereby the lever F is firmly secured in place.

L L represent two turn-buttons, arranged on the under side of the headB, at right angles to the bolts ff', and adapted to engage against theunder side of the ring c of the barrel. The buttons L are each attachedto a bolt, Z, which projects upward through the head B, and is providedabove the same with a head, M, having a nose, m. The head M turns on aplate, N, which is seated in a recess formed in the head B, whereby theplate N is prevented from turning. The plate N is constructed with twoprojecting stops, a, arranged at right angles to each other, and thenose m of the head M swings between the stops n, and the movement of theturn-button is thereby limited to a quarter-turn. By turning the buttonsL so as to project under the ring c of the barrel an additionalfastening is given to the head B. The nose m and that stop n againstwhich the nose rests when the turn-button is projected under the ring care provided with perforations, through which a wire can be drawn forthe purpose ot' attaching a seal, whereby an additional securityisfurnished'against the opening of the package.

O represents a can, of tin or other suitable material, arranged withinthe barrel or tub-A and resting on the bottom. A thereof. The latter isprovided on its upper side with a rim, p, which surrounds the lower endof the can O and holds the same against lateral movement.

q represents a horizontal ring, which is secured to the inner side ofthev barrel A and surrounds the upper portion of the can and holds thesame in place. The removable head B bears upon the upper end of the canand prevents the latter from moving vertically within the barrel. Thespace between the can and barrel or tub is filled with brine or ice orany other suitable refrigeratiu g mixture, whereby the contents ot' thecan are preserved.

It is obvious that the rim b of the removable head B may rest upon theupper end of the barrel or tub, instead ot' the ring c, when the latterserves merely to form a shoulder, under which the fastening devicesengage. In this case the ring need not extend all around the innersurface of the barrel, but may be replaced by ring-sections ofsufficient length to hold the locking devices.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a barrel or tub, A,ot' a ring, e, composed of a strip ot' wood made of uniformcross-section throughout its length, and sprung into a recess ofsuitable shape formed in the barrel or tub nearits end, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination, with a barrel or tub, A, provided on its innersurface, near its end, with al projecting ring, c, ot' a removable head,B, resting upon the ring c, and fastening devices applied to the underside ofthe head and adapted to be projected under the ring c forsecuring the head and to be retracted for releasing the head,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a barrel or tub, A, provided with a ring orshoulder, c, of a removable head, B, provided with sliding bolts fj",attached to the under side of the head and adapted to engage with theirouter ends under the ring c, and a lever, F, to which the inner endsofthe boltsff are connected and whereby both bolts are moved in oppositedirections, substantially as set forth.

4. Thecombinatiomwith thereinovablehead B, of the sliding bolts ff', oneof which is provided with a'projecting tongue, h, and the lever F,having an opening, h', substantially as Set forth.

5. The combination, with the removable cover B, constructed with aprojecting rim, b, of a packing-ring, d, applied to the under side ofthe` rim b, and a hoop, ewhich surrounds the lower contracted portion ofthe cover, and bears with its upper edge against the packingring d, andsecures the latter in place, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the cover B, of a turn-button, L, secured to abolt, l, having a head, M, provided with a nose, m, and a plate, N,secured to the cover B, and provided with stops n, between which thenose m swings, sub-y stantially as set forth.

OHAS. L. POND.

Witnesses:

JN0. J. BoNNEu, EDW. J. BRADY.

ICO

IIO

